The use of gymnasium floors for activities and social gatherings other than sporting events has always caused concern that the quality of the floor finish will deteriorate due to street shoes being worn, or from tables, chairs and other abrasive items. It has therefore become the practice to cover gymnasium floors with sheets of thin floor covering material typically composed of suitable synthetic materials such as vinyl. The floor covering is normally formed on at least an underside thereof with a textured, slip-resistant layer used in maintaining the position of the floor covering on the gymnasium floor surface.
Floor covering racks are well known for storage and dispensing purposes. The floor covering is stored on rotatable rolls on a rack and can be conveniently withdrawn and laid on the floor. The floor covering is conveniently retrieved by rotating the roller by means of a crank or an electric motor.
In the course of using these known racks to dispense and retrieve floor covering, it has been found that the combined floor covering weight and friction occurring between the underside of the floor covering and the floor surface may hamper installation and removal as well as cause scuffing or scratching of the floor surface.
Therefore, it is desirable to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, and provide a floor covering storage, dispensing and retrieval rack equipped with a forced air assist device in the form of a blower, as well as a method of use, for simplifying and expediting installation and removal of the floor covering while reducing the potential of floor surface damage during either process.